Notes on Pluralism, both Theology and Society, in accordance with the OCR Religious Studies specification. The notes provide information, scholars, ideas and quotes compiled from various resources from both within and outside of the curriculum.
Exclusivism
- Christianity is the only true religion and salvation can only be granted to
Christians
- ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me.’ John 14:6
- ‘whoever does not believe stands condemned already.’ John 3:18
Augustine:
- humans are so corrupted by original sin that faith is only possible through
God’s grace
- human beings don’t have the power to achieve salvation due to
predestination
Strengths
1. Supported by Bible and Christian doctrine, Doctrine of Faith by RCC
2. clear non-contradictory message
3. potential for salvation for everyone through post-mortem confrontation
Weaknesses
1. Jesus is the mechanism through which salvation is served, belief in him is not
necessarily required
2. Issues with predestination: free will, God’s omnibenevolence, unjust
punishment
3. Christianity is heavily influenced by Platonic and Jewish ideas/texts so how
can it claim exclusivity, it does not exist in a vacuum
Inclusivism
- Christianity is the only true religion but salvation can be granted to non-
Christians
- Karl Rahner recognised that an omnibenevolent God couldn’t condemn
somebody who wasn’t Christian due to cultural/contextual influence
- other religions contain valid natural theology mixed with error in orthodoxy
but they still have a degree of lawfulness
- anonymous Christians are people who fulfil the Christian message through
another religion/good work
Strengths
1. maintains God’s omnibenevolence: ‘Is it credible that the loving God and
father of all men has decreed that only those born within one particular
thread of human history shall be saved.’ Hick
Weaknesses
1. Luther argues good works are simply the result of faith, he likens it to fire and
heat. It is faith that truly saves Christians
2. patronising and undermines other religions/theists
3. imposes Christ on people who do not know/believe
4. Hans Kung questions, ‘why not anonymous Buddhists?’ what justifies
Christianity’s superiority
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